my right heel has been aching quite a bit the past few weeks. it's becoming too painful to walk, which is a bummer since that's the best exercise i can ever get. and it's not like i have a choice not to, because otherwise, how will my son get to school? dang.
anyway, i researched my symptoms and found out that i have plantar fasciitis.from webmd:
What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis (say "PLAN-ter fash-ee-EYE-tus") is the most common cause of heel pain. The plantar fascia is the flat band of tissue (ligament) that connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot. If you strain your plantar fascia, it gets weak, swollen, and irritated (inflamed). Then your heel or the bottom of your foot hurts when you stand or walk.
Plantar fasciitis is common in middle-aged people. It also occurs in younger people who are on their feet a lot, like athletes or soldiers. It can happen in one foot or both feet.
What causes plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is caused by straining the ligament that supports your arch. Repeated strain can cause tiny tears in the ligament. These can lead to pain and swelling. This is more likely to happen if:
- Your feet roll inward too much when you walk (excessive pronation). err, what?
- You have high arches or flat feet. - i do have high arches
- You walk, stand, or run for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces. - as i said, unavoidable.
- You are overweight.- ouch, that too. although when i was 200 lbs i didn't get this. so why would i develop plantar fasciitis now that i'm 160 lbs? doesn't make sense.
- You wear shoes that don't fit well or are worn out. - all my shoes fit well, they're just not too comfortable. but i can go walking at the mall for hours in them and my feet don't hurt! it's only when i walk fast.
- You have tight Achilles tendons or calf muscles. - i have no idea if i do.
What are the symptoms?
Most people with plantar fasciitis have pain when they take their first steps after they get out of bed or sit for a long time. true You may have less stiffness and pain after you take a few steps, but your foot may hurt more as the day goes on. also true It may hurt the most when you climb stairs or after you stand for a long time.
How is it treated?
No single treatment works best for everyone with plantar fasciitis. But there are many things you can try to help your foot get better:
- Give your feet a rest. Cut back on activities that make your foot hurt. Try not to walk or run on hard surfaces. uh, yeah right. i live in the city not the countryside, and there's no way i can cut back on walking.
- To reduce pain and swelling, try putting ice on your heel. tried it, didn't work Or take an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin), naproxen (such as Aleve), or aspirin.
- Do calf stretches and towel stretches several times a day, especially when you first get up in the morning. this one actually works
- Get a new pair of shoes. wow! i love this treatment! Pick shoes with good arch support and a cushioned sole. Or try heel cups or shoe inserts (orthotics). Use them in both shoes, even if only one foot hurts.
8 comments:
ive seen this on tv pat just recently. it's common to women who wear high heels. some ligaments are torn gyud and there is this ultrasound treatment. i wonder if naa na sa sg.
I remember our conversation when we had dinner at Rica's Pat. You don't walk wearing rubber shoes.. hehehe.. I think buying a walking shoes will help with the pronation. It is the wrong positioning of your feel when it hits the ground when you walk. The walking will help you with this.
When you didn't have your sexy yet, you didn't walk as much thus the feet wasn't used a lot for walking..no signs and symptoms of inflamed ligaments just yet.
But when you started to engage in your walking activities almost everyday, na shock your feet... and the ligament that wasn't used before as much now, got its beating.
For the pain, you can take the Ibuprofen and do the feet/heel stretch before walking and after walking.
Rubber shoes pat.. hehehe.. glamorous man sad na rubber shoes.
t - strangely enough, my heel doesn't hurt at all when i wear stilettos. that's because my weight is concentrated on the ball of my feet.
hi mai, hehehe,you remembered! =) yes, manuel also thinks it's the wrong positioning of my feet when i walk. he's been observing me lately, trying to figure it out too. i think that when i walk in a leisurely pace, i am more conscious of positioning, so my feet don't hurt, even if i go malling for 4 hours straight. but when i brisk walk for 30 minutes, it really hurts because i'm too much in a hurry to mind how i step.
where do i find glamorous rubber shoes that would go with my outfits? waaaah! maybe i'll look for pretty walking shoes from sketchers or nike. =)
I saw some from Nike Pat.. rubber shoes but with style..
sorry to hear this patricia...i guess, you better be looking at better and comfortable footwear..*hugs*
hi, happened to read your entry re plantar fasciitis. i'm a Physical Therapist by profession and i found that most of my patients with the same condition are relieved by doing this simple activity:
take a tennis ball and put them in the freezer. during your leisure time, ie watching TV or reading, roll the ball under the affected foot , putting pressure as tolerated, maybe 20 mins or so.
you can check if you walk over pronated if the inner sole of your most used shoes are excessively worn( best viewed from the back of the shoe) and if you do, using sneakers with good arch support ( usually running shoes do) may alleviate your problem.
Feel better
anonymous - thanks for the tip! =)much appreciated
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